


Because I Love You Too

by RestlessCancer



Series: Destiel, Sabriel, and Cabriel: For the Love [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2018-10-25 11:07:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10763010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RestlessCancer/pseuds/RestlessCancer
Summary: In For the Love of You, Castiel came to Dean's rescue and transformed the weary hunter's life, ultimately saving him from a fate of finality. Now, it's Dean's turn to take care of his soon-to-be husband and Daddy when Gabriel shows up on movie night with a tiny familiar angel. Unfortunately, Dean's age play routine may increase the difficulty of taking care of Castiel. That's where silly Uncle Balthy comes in, to make sure all goes well for his two favorite babies.





	1. Here, Take Him

Sam and Dean were watching a movie at Castiel’s gorgeous house in the mountains. The house itself was a spectacle to behold from the outside, but the inside is what really impressed company. There were about 4 levels total to the manor-esque home. The attic was actually one huge sun room. It had a hot tub (though the temperature could be adjusted to accommodate baby boys), a luxurious adult sized playpen, plenty of cozy and plush seating, the nicest hardwood flooring, the most expensive and velvety rugs, and a view with it’s two expansive glass walls that couldn’t be beat. Then there was the second floor. There were about four bedrooms total. The nursery and playroom were linked together by a full bath. Then there was Dean’s room for when he wasn’t little and Castiel’s bedroom with an ensuite bathroom. Dean’s room was the most unused room on the floor since he and Cas were finally dating. There was no sense in sleeping in separate rooms at that point so Dean’s room was soon to be renovated into a guest room. On the same floor, there was a miniature living room space. It had a 30” flat screen, cushy seating, a super soft rug, and a quaint little fire place that was surrounded by shelving with books and movies galore. 

 

Then there was the main floor with its open concept everything- except for the guest room and bathroom, of course. It had a four car garage with two cars already occupying it. There was a huge kitchen with black granite countertops and cherrywood cabinets, a large dining space with an opulent cherrywood dining set that included a table, a dozen chairs, and matching china hutch all strategically located along the glass panelled wall next to the kitchen that led to patio with an attached sunroom, and the biggest living room possible with more stress melting plush furniture, the biggest custom made plush rug that was made to look like the night sky, another deluxe playpen made to accommodate an adult occupant and a 50” flat screen tv hooked up to a home theater system and was mounted above a grand fireplace . There was also a guest room with it’s own ensuite bathroom and a separate bathroom so it wouldn’t be necessary to invade the bedroom. Finally, there was the finished basement. It had two more bedrooms, a bathroom, a large room full of thoroughly organized storage, and a huge family room. The family room was much like the living room upstairs, though everything was done bigger and better (at Gabriel’s suggestion, of course). The flat screen was a 3D capable whopping 70” monster of a tv and this home theater system had immersive surround sound. Additionally, the lights were mounted on the walls and the ceiling, each set being controlled by a different dimming switch. All in all, it had to be Dean’s favorite place in the world.

 

At least it was until a certain Archangel holding a swaddled bundle appeared to interrupt the fun…

 

“Dean!” Gabriel shouted from the main floor. 

 

By the rumbling under his feet, he could guess that the brothers were utilizing the family room for a movie, but there was no way he was going down there with precious cargo. The angel groaned in frustration and jabbed the elder Winchester’s soul with his Grace. Soon enough, the rumbling stopped and the brothers came up together. 

 

“Your Archangel needs to fucking stop jabbing me with his damn Grace. He keeps conveniently forgetting that it hurts like a bitch since Cas’ Grace hasn’t fully taken effect yet.” Dean bitched to his brother.

 

“I’m sorry, Dean-o but I couldn’t go down there.” Gabriel apologized. 

 

“What are you talking about?” Dean questioned. “That’s your favorite room in this house that’s only here because of you.”

 

“I can’t with delicate cargo, there, is that better?” Gabriel griped, bouncing the the blanket swaddled bundle. “I need you to take him while I go hunt down the responsible angel and exact some revenge on his behalf. Then I’m going to look for Dad.”

 

As Gabriel finished speaking, he carefully thrust the little package at Dean, who clumsily adjusted his hold to cradle it properly in his arms.

 

“Your old room has been modified for him and instructions are left there as well.” Gabriel added, stretching his wings and getting ready to take off.

 

“Wait, you didn’t get rid of my nursery, did you?” Dean interrogated, looking like he was ready to slip into headspace and have a record breaking meltdown if that was in fact the room that was ‘remodelled.’ 

 

“No, honey, I didn’t. I meant your big boy room that Cassie was already renovating.” Gabriel assured the elder hunter. “I’ve gotta go.”

 

With that, the Archangel was gone, muttering something about fate and bitches. As Dean looked down at the bundle in his arms, he realized he was holding what appeared to be a sleeping baby version of his angel. There was the same dark hair, fair skin, ever-changing blue eyes, and just a peek of the gorgeous Aurora wings that looked like they would be about half a foot in span each if there were fanned out.

 

“You don’t think…” Sam started to say, looking at his brother to get his thoughts.

 

“I’m afraid to think.” Dean answered, wishing Gabriel would have just confirmed it before he left.

 

_ If only that were a fear much earlier on and the answer is yes, yes it is Cassie. _ Gabriel’s voice chimed in Sam’s thoughts.

 

“Well, that answers that, thanks Gabe…” Sam sarcastically muttered. “Also, don’t be an ass.”

 

“What?” Dean questioned, staring his brother down.

 

“Gabe invaded my head to tell us that this little guy is in fact your boyfriend and Daddy.” Sam informed his brother. 

 

“But…” 

 

“But what?” 

 

Dean sighed with a dangerously wobbly lip, “This weekend was supposed to be the start of my little time with him…”

 

“I can tell this is going to go well…” Sam stated, realizing he wasn’t going home any time soon. “Do I need to be watching both of you or do you think you’ll be alright? I don’t know how often you and Cas normally play.”

 

“Because of the Grace I have to consume and it being easier and more effective to nurse, we usually do it every other week…” Dean confessed, flushing in embarrassment.

 

“Dean, I’ll take care of you and Cas if need be,” Sam assured his brother. “Though, it might take me awhile to get everything right.”

 

Suddenly, they heard the sound of wings and they couldn’t help but wonder if Gabriel had completed one of his missions early. As the air settled, Balthazar stood before them in all his British punk rock glory.

 

“Hi, Uncle Balthy,” Dean shyly greeted with a smile, shaking his head as he realized he could’ve slipped in a split second.

 

“Hello, Little Bee.” Balthazar greeted. “I was told that a certain special boy might need my help.”

 

“Dean, who is this?” Sam questioned, having the urge to step in front of his brother and the baby angel. “Why did you call him Uncle Balthy?”

 

“Oh, uh, right,” Dean cleared his throat. “Sam, this is Balthazar, one of Gabe and Cas’ closest siblings and friend. Sometimes he stops in when I’m, uh, in headspace.”

 

“I heard about what happened to Cassie.” Balthazar explained. “I came here to help since I know how to care for tiny angels and to keep an eye on you since Gabriel and I both know it’s that time for Dean to nurse and be little. Speaking of which…”

 

Balthazar dug around in the messenger bag slung across his chest. After a moment, he pulled out two large mason jars of shining silver liquid.

 

“Your Daddy had an idea of what was to come so he gathered up your usual dosage in case he’s not back to normal in time for your regular nursing.” Balthazar informed Dean, walking towards the huge stainless steel fridge and placing the jars inside. “He instructed me to give you your bottles and look after you. Again, that’s only if he’s not back in time, which I’m sure he will be. If Gabriel’s gone after that little bitch, everything should be back to normal by your first feeding this weekend.”

 

“Wait, you know who did this?” Dean questioned.

 

“Yes, Bee, I do. Her name is Atropos. You probably recognize the name from Greek Mythology.” Balthazar answered, taking a seat in the living room and motioning them to join him.

 

The angel was pleased when Dean snuggled up to him. He donned a sad smile for a split second when Sam sat in an armchair with one knee in the air like a mountain and the other bent and ready to sit cross-legged at a moment’s notice. Clearly the younger of the two didn’t trust him, which was actually the proper response. Balthazar looked down at his sleeping baby brother and smiled fondly. He never really got much time with Castiel when he was growing, partly from being on Earth and not hearing from anyone about the newest addition for the longest time. The other part was because of Gabriel’s possessiveness. If he could take Cassie wherever he was about to go, he did. He also didn’t really allow the other angels to be around the cygnet because he had no tolerance for even the chance that the youngest would be looked down on. But Gabriel often forgot that Balthazar couldn’t give a fuck, unless it was to a pretty lady or a handsome bloke. He had no room to judge since he sported rainbow wings. It was mostly by choice, but it became permanent when Father got tired of him always changing his wing color so he had all the colors at once. He was brought out of his thoughts by the younger Winchester.

 

“So one of the Fates did this to Cas?” Sam questioned.

 

“Yes, Atropos is a testy little thing. She wants things to go her way or she’ll find a way to make them go her way, though she rarely considers the consequences of her actions.” Balthazar responded, petting Dean’s hair and noticing the boy’s hand twitching- likely feeling a bit small and wanting to suck his thumb.

 

“Wasn’t she the one who tried to kill Dean?”

 

“The very same angel, though personally I still think she’s a demon in disguise. She doesn’t like it when there are exceptions to her rules. She’s always been miffed that Dad won’t let her touch you or Dean. He specifically told her that you two could only be effected by Him or there would be consequences. Naturally, she didn’t listen.” Balthazar confirmed. “Now that Gabriel’s on her ass, she’s as good as dead. He may be a jokester, but when you piss him off, it’s the end of your world.”

 

As Dean and Balthazar looked down at the bundle in the hunter’s arms, the most beautiful blue eyes looked up at the man holding him. Just like when he was fully grown, Castiel tilted his head ever so slightly and looked around at the faces above him. He remembered being diapered and dressed by his Daddy, then being fed a bottle of warm Grace, and rocked to sleep as Daddy sang to him. Noticing the absence of the most important person in his life, Castiel’s face started to crumple as he gave into the urge to cry.

 

“Cassie, please don’t cry,” Dean soothed, rocking the baby angel in his arms and sounding awfully close to tears himself. “I’m here and  _ I _ love you…” 

 

That comforting sentiment helped to calm Castiel’s upset down to sniffles and whines. He still wanted his Daddy, but the person holding him seemed familiar and comforting. The angel wiggled until he could get his arms free from the confines of the blanket. He reached for Dean, who stared at him in amazement. Castiel cooed happily as he revelled in the attention. 

 

“Hi, Cassie,” Dean breathed, holding the baby closer to him. “I’ve missed you…”

 

“Hello, baby brother.” Balthazar greeted, rewarded with a happy smile from the tiny angel.

 

“Papa!” Castiel giggled, grabbing Dean’s lip.

 

Dean looked from Sam to Balthazar in shock, looking for cues on how to react just like he normally did whenever he fell while in headspace and would look to his Daddy. Both were smiling at him so he grinned down at his angel and rubbed his nose against the baby’s.

 

“My baby…” Dean whispered, resting his forehead against Castiel’s.

  
This angel was gonna be his downfall.


	2. A Little More Clear-Headed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Balthazar is the opposite of helpful as his tendency to treat Dean as the infantile he's normally seen the hunter as persists. Sam tries to help keep his brother grounded in the world of adults. Meanwhile, Dean is looking towards his future with Castiel and scheming up ways to get his husband-to-be on board with some things they still hadn't openly discussed.
> 
> #Dean'sDeathStare #DeanWinchester'sNightmareEyes
> 
> (Nightmare Eyes is originally a joke/reference from a game called A Night in the Woods)

The evening had passed by quickly and Dean almost couldn’t believe it when he woke up the next day. He had been hoping that it had all been a bad dream and that Cas would be waiting downstairs to have a cup of coffee with him. The hunter had no such luck. Instead he found Sam sitting at the island in the kitchen while reading a book and sipping a mug of coffee and Balthazar on the couch, feeding baby Castiel a bottle of warm Grace. Dean fought a sigh of disappointment and ventured into the kitchen, grabbing a mug that just so happened to have been custom made with pictures of Castiel and Dean while the latter was just a baby in headspace being doted upon by his Daddy, and got his first dose of caffeine for the day. When Sam looked up and spotted the mug, a flash of concern crossed his face. He quickly tamped down his initial reaction and put his book aside.

 

“Mornin’, Dean,” Sam greeted, already dressed for the day in a blue plaid flannel shirt with a white undershirt and jeans. “Sleep well?”

 

“Yeah. I’m much more refreshed.” Dean responded. “How was the summer room?”

 

“It was very relaxing. It was a nice touch you two added by having the night sky done up in glow paint on the ceiling.” Sam replied, referring to the guest room he stayed in on the main floor which had a mural of a perfect summer’s day painted across the four walls. “Are you ready to take care of Cas again?”

 

The ‘again’ brought back some memories for Dean. There was one point when Castiel had his first anger surge after they started dating. He had a complete meltdown when he found out that his energy had fed into a ghost in Asheville who ended up murdering three families before anyone could stop it. Gabriel was in Heaven fighting Raphael about the changes in Heaven once again at the time and Balthazar was posing as a world famous fashion designer and photographer so he had his hands full with work- not that the brothers could’ve called either angel anyway and Castiel certainly made it clear that he wouldn’t contact his brothers no matter what. So that left Dean to care for his boyfriend, not that Dean minded since that was back before he had a regular regression schedule because of the Grace flowing through his veins. Still, it was alarming to see his angel so broken and tiny, but that also drove Dean’s parental instinct from raising Sammy. So Dean took over as Daddy while Castiel was his baby. The hunter would never forget that month because his angel had trusted him and let himself be vulnerable for once. Not to mention, it turned out that, even fully grown, Castiel made the cutest baby Dean had ever seen.

 

“Yeah, I kinda missed having him as my little dude…” Dean answered, staring off into space as he took a sip of coffee with a wistful smile.

 

Almost as if on cue, Castiel began to cry as Balthazar attempted to burp the tiny angel. It apparently didn’t help that he could see his ‘Papa’ across the room. 

 

“P-Papa!” Castiel cried.

 

“Oh whoa!” Dean startled, quickly setting his coffee down and fast-walking over to his angel. “Hey, baby, it’s okay.”

 

Balthazar gently handed the tiny angel over and watched as Dean quickly took the baby into his arms and started to gently pat the little one’s back. After a minute, Castiel finally burped, giggling at the weird sound he made.

 

“Did you make a funny sound, Cas, hmm?” Dean teased, cradling the baby in his arms and tickling his tiny tummy.

 

“Papa!” Castiel cheered, nuzzling the hunter’s chest.

 

“That’s right, baby,” Dean affirmed, kissing Cas’ forehead. “How about we find something to do since we still have a few hours before naptime, huh?”

 

Castiel hummed happily at that. So Dean headed upstairs with Castiel to see what all was in the angel’s nursery. He still remembered the schedule Cas had been on two years ago when he was the baby for once so that made things a bit easier. Looking around, Dean saw a little bit of everything and that Gabriel had split the room in half when it came to the theme. Two walls were decorated with scenes and characters from Monster High while the other two were coated with the same elements but with Ever After High. Dean chuckled at the sight since there were even dolls and plushes from the shows.

 

“Are we sure you’re not a girl?” Dean teased, spotting an activity jumper tucked into a corner of the room.

 

Castiel whined and looked close to tears at the comment. Dean wasn’t really surprised by that because even when Cas was fully grown and age playing he was a rather sensitive baby. Dean grabbed the jumper with his free hand and started towards the main floor’s living room.

 

“Oh, I know, Papa’s the worst for making such mean comment like that. Bad, bad Papa.” Dean self-admonished with an affectionate smile on his face.

 

Castiel hummed in satisfaction, giggling at the look of mock betrayal on Dean’s face as he set the jumper down to face the television. The angel pat Dean’s cheek sweetly and hummed happily to let his Papa know it was okay. Dean shook his head and lifted that angel up in the air above his head.

 

“Show Papa your pretty wings, angel,” Dean cooed as Cas wriggled happily in the air.

 

Castiel gladly obeyed, unfolding his tiny wings with a look of intense concentration on his chubby little face. Dean chuckled a bit, remembering that it was the same face the baby made the night before when Cas had used his diaper for every purpose intended. Soon Cas started to smile and coo gleefully, his wings fluttering in response to his mood.

 

“There they are! Look at Papa’s pretty baby!” Dean fawned over the little angel as he lowered Cas into his arms and showered him in kisses. “Oh…Mwah! Oh...  goodness! Papa could …. Mwah mwah mwah… just smother you with kisses!”

 

By now Castiel was both wiggling and giggling wildly. Papa was sooo silly! Castiel started to remember being a big boy and pretending to be this little and how Papa took such good care of him while Daddy was gone. It put his previous fears and discomforts to rest in no time. 

 

“Alright, baby, let’s get you set up.” Dean stated, lowering Cas into the activity jumper. “How about we put on one of your favorite shows?”

 

“Last I checked, Big Dean hated both of Castiel’s favorite shows.” Balthazar teased as Sam came over from the kitchen and took over the arm chair once more.

 

“Yes, but Papa loves his baby more than should be possible so his little angel is spoiled rotten.” Dean countered, tickling Castiel one more time. “Isn’t that right, Cassie?”

 

“Papa!” Castiel chortled, his vocabulary limited to very few words but enough to still convey his moods.

 

Dean looked through the movies, which his angel had organized by series (if it was part of one) and then by title. It was a little convoluted but it kept adult Castiel from losing his mind by keeping it busy. He pulled  _ Ever After High: Epic Winter _ and  _ Monster High: Freaky Fusion _ from the shelves and held them up for Castiel to pick from. The little angel stared for a moment before making grabby hands at  _ Monster High: Freaky Fusion _ . Dean put the other dvd back and started up the one that Cassie had picked out.

 

“How are we feeling today, sweet boy?” Balthazar asked, satisfied when Dean snuggled up to him.

 

“Better, but you’re not helping the whole being a parent thing.” Dean responded flatly, giving his ‘uncle’ a look.

 

“I can’t help it. Almost every other time I have come to visit you’ve been my baby nephew.” Balthazar defended, kissing Dean’s forehead. “Are you scared?”

 

“Why would I be?” Dean questioned, alarmed by Balthazar’s inquiry. 

 

“Because it’s Thursday already… You normally start on Friday or Saturday depending on when the pain starts.” Balthazar reminded the hunter.

 

Dean didn’t speak but the thought crossed his mind,  _ I am now… _

 

“I’m sorry, Little Bee, I didn’t mean to worry you...:” Balthazar apologized, holding the boy tighter. 

 

That’s when Dean realized that, for the first time since he has known the kick-ass, punk rock angel, Balthazar was actually scared and worried for once. It was both amazing, like seeing your favorite wild animal out in the real world in all its glory, and terrifying because clearly the angel didn’t believe a damn word out of his own mouth from the previous day. Dean looked over at Sam, who gave his older brother a concerned look which told the hunter that he must’ve looked like he saw the ghost of John Winchester.

 

“You’re scared…” Dean observed aloud as he turned back to the angel. “You don’t think Gabriel will find Atropos in time…”

 

Balthazar sighed, “No, Dean, I don’t think he will. Heaven is expansive and time moves much slower there. If you’re not watching Earth through the few viewing portals there, you could lose a year in what felt like seconds…”

 

Dean looked like he could be sick any moment. His heartbeat was starting to pick up and his stomach was churning in a very dangerous way. His mouth felt dry and his mind couldn’t seem to focus. Lose a year in seconds? What if Gabriel lost time to the point that it had been 13 years or something insane like that? They sure as hell didn’t have enough Grace to last Dean and he didn’t know if he could bear to have his wings come in without his Daddy there to soothe the pain and fear…  If this amount of stress kept up, he wouldn’t be able to stay big for long and then he’d fail his fiancee because he wouldn’t be able to take care of him. They’d both be useless, helpless babies that needed everyone for everything. Dean looked down at Castiel sitting in the activity jumper, entranced in the visual story playing out on the screen. What if Castiel never got turned back? What if Dean couldn’t recover from that knowledge and was permanently stuck in little space? Their wedding would be cancelled, all their family and friends would be disappointed, and, eventually, the ones caring for them would either pawn them off on someone else or just up and abandon them. Dean never wanted to be a burden, that’s part of why they were going through with the nephilim transformation- not that he told Cas that. Once Dean was an angel, they would be able to live forever together and maybe have a family… He wouldn’t have to rely on age play anymore because many of his memories would be blurred and distant, any that didn’t have a major effect on who he was would practically disappear. But that process takes a minimum of two years and they were barely nine months in… He hadn’t realized he started crying quietly with a hand clamped over his mouth until he started feeling hot from being pressed between his brother and Balthazar.

 

“Dean, dude, you’re fine. Balthazar’s just a worry wort.” Sam comforted, shooting the angel a dirty look. “You know Gabriel, man, when he has his head and heart set on something, there’s nothing stopping him.”

 

“Your brother’s right. I have plenty of stories to prove that very point- many are first hand accounts that also involve Cassie.” Balthazar confirmed, feeling awful for causing the hunter the near panic attack he was facing.

 

“Story?” Dean asked, sounding a lot younger as he sniffled. “About Daddy…?”

 

Balthazar and Sam looked at each other in concern. If they didn’t find a way to reaffirm his adult mind, they were going to have a sobbing baby on their hands in the blink of an eye.

 

“Yeah, but they get pretty salty and pear-shaped at times so you have to be in the right mindset to hear ‘em.” Balthazar answered. “Did you want to finish your coffee and have a donut while Cassie’s still occupied?”

 

“Oh hell yes, I need that caffeine.” Dean agreed, the thought of that heavenly brew bringing him back to himself. “When did we get donuts?”

 

“I went and grabbed some from your favorite place, Vortex Doughnuts, when I went back home to pack some clean clothes and some of the new books Gabe bought me.” Sam answered. “Balthazar thought it would be a nice touch since this kinda interrupted our movie night and could be pushing back your regression therapy.”

 

“You guys are the best.” Dean said as he shot up from the couch and into the kitchen like .270 round from the rifle with his namesake. “Cassie always buys our grounds from there because they have some of the best gourmet coffees around.”

 

Balthazar and Sam joined Dean in the kitchen. All three sat around the island with Balthazar and Dean occasionally glancing over to check on Castiel who was still enraptured by the fusion of some of the most opposite minded monsters in the peculiar high school. The fused monsters were getting lessons from the hybrids on how to become one and reconcile their different powers, Like Jinafire and Lagoona- one was accustomed to fire while the other was born and raised in water. Balthazar had started telling the story about his first attempt to meet Castiel when he was still a nestling. Apparently, Gabriel hadn’t believed that Balthazar would be very accepting of the baby angel so he set up a series of elaborate pranks ranging from doorknobs falling off to buckets of cat pee being dumped over his head. Eventually, Gabriel realized that Balthazar had good intentions and clearly cared to meet and understand the youngest angel. No other angel would have put up with as many pranks as Balthazar had.

 

“Oh, when I met your fiancee, Dean,” Balthazar stated with a dreamy tone of voice. “He was the most beautiful, unique being in existence and he was all up in a snit that I kept taking pictures up, down and sideways. Little bugger smacked me with one of his gorgeous wings and then chucked a toy at me. Of course, Gabriel just laughed his arse off. Even commended the little shit for nailing me in the face!”

 

They all had to laugh at the image of Cas, seemingly like such a sweet, clingy baby getting all pissed off at Balthazar. To think that even as a tiny baby, the angel still managed to hit the older angel right in the face was priceless. Dean remembered Sam doing annoying shit like that when he was little. John liked to think the youngest was a precious little angel because he was the last one Mary Winchester touched, but Dean knew better. He loved Sammy with all his heart, but there were times where he could almost waste the sasquatch. 

 

“Sammy was a little terror himself sometimes.” Dean added with a mischievous grin. “I remember one time when Sammy and I set off fireworks together. The little terror realized that colored smoke bombs and Roman Candles were fun to aim at me so we went to war. John nearly kicked our asses when he found out. Partly because of the mess and partly because we left the motel room and went to a field a couple blocks away.”

 

“I remember that!” Sam laughed. “I nailed you right in the crotch with a yellow smoke bomb and when you turned to get more ammo I shot a Roman Candle at your ass! It burned a fucking hole in your pants!”

 

“Oh, but I got you back, bitch.” Dean reminded him, playfully shoving his brother. “You had pink and purple hair for like a month before that shit came out and let’s not forget the hole in the crotch of your stupid hipster skinny jeans!”

 

“Whatever, jerk!” Sam chuckled, shoving his brother back then peering over at the living room. “I think someone’s about to realize the party relocated.”

 

Sure enough, as they looked over at the baby angel exercising his wings in the jumper, the movie was almost over and Castiel was getting increasingly fussy. Dean chugged the last bit of his liquid heaven (or rather the adult Dean’s version- little Dean and baby Dean loved Daddy’s Grace with just a bit of pumpkin puree, nutmeg and vanilla in his favorite ba-ba since it reminded him of his Mom’s pumpkin pie from the last thanksgiving they had together, which was the first time Dean ever had pumpkin pie) and started making his way over to the baby. It turned out he was just in time too because as the credits started, Castiel started rearing up to wail his little angelic lungs out. Dean gently lifted his angel out of the jumper and held him so they were chest to chest. Cas was such a cute little thing with weapons of mass cuteness that could mangle the heart of even the coldest fish.

 

“Hey, baby,” Dean cooed, kissing the little one’s chubby cheek. “I think it’s nap time for you right about now. What do you say we make you a nice baba and go rock in your chair in the nursery?”

 

Castiel just huffed unhappily and clung to his Papa. He was so tired now. Where had Papa been? Why hadn’t he stayed right there next to him? He was starting to feel icky from using his diaper during the movie which Papa didn’t seem to notice. He guessed he’d have to let Papa know something was up so he started whining.

 

“What’s the matter, huh?” Dean asked, bouncing his angel as he took the bottle of warm Grace from Balthazar.

 

As the hunter adjusted his grip, he noticed the soiled diaper clinging to Cas’ bum. He mentally altered the plan he had in mind to add a diaper change before anything else. Dean carried Castiel up to the little one’s room and set the bottle on the floor next to the rocking chair. He moved over to the dresser with its plush changing pad, laid the baby angel down- being very careful with the tiny wings, and clicked the safety restraint around Cas’ middle. The process of changing a diaper was almost automatic, which made Dean scoff mentally since it hadn’t been this easy to do it for himself when he was trying to avoid Gabe or Sammy figuring out he was having trouble with his bladder after one of his earlier regressions when Cas had to run to get groceries. Thankfully, he had the change over with before the little angel even had a chance to get truly worked up. 

 

Castiel happily reached for his Papa and was rewarded with the man scooping him up like he was the most precious thing in the universe. Soon, they were settled into the rocker. This was Dean’s favorite part, feeding his baby. Castiel looked into Dean’s emerald orbs with those beautiful skies that melted into oceans with so much love and adoration that it was mind-blowing. Cas was keeping a pretty thorough grip on the hunter’s big, strong hand as it held the bottle in a comfortable and steady position. It was truly precious to see the size comparison. Castiel was barely longer, head to toe, than Dean’s forearm. He was a tiny bundle of adorable and mischief. Heaven, the younger angel had spent far too long with big brother Gabe. Dean started humming a song he knew Castiel loved- it was totally cheesy and by the same band with the “hit” song, “Forever and Always,” which chronicled a couple performing a shitty hospital wedding as the would-be husband laid dying on the sterile bed after a tragic car crash. Dean totally didn’t think that it was cheeseball-style classic romance song. Nope. Not at all. Totally didn’t make him cry his eyes out when Castiel nearly fell for a second time. This was a different song, though. It was actually one that he was considering surprising Castiel by playing it at their wedding. Granted, he’d have to do a cover of the song since it referred to a female instead of male, but that was to be expected of a boy band.

 

“I've been beaten down, I've been kicked around, But he takes it all for me. And I lost my faith, in my darkest days, But he makes me want to believe. They call him love, love, love, love, love. They call him love, love, love, love, love. He is love, and he is all I need. He's all I need.” Dean sang in a soft, quiet bass with a loving smile- just like Castiel always swore, it was like a choir of angels. “Well I had my ways, they were all in vain, But he waited patiently. It was all the same, all my pride and shame, And he put me on my feet. They call him love, love, love, love, love. They call him love, love, love, love, love. They call him love, love, love, love, love. He is love, and she is all I need. Cause when that world slows down, dear. And when those stars burn out, here. Oh he'll be here, yes he'll be here, They call him love, love, love, love, love. They call him love, love, love, love, love. They call him love, love, love, love. Love. He is love, and he is all I need, he is love, and he is all I need, he is love, and he is all I need…”

 

By the end of the song and the bottle, Castiel was completely asleep. Dean slipped the bottle from the puffy, tiny lips and set it off to the side. He slipped a pacifier in the angel’s mouth and just sat there rocking the little one. After an hour or so, Dean risked the baby waking as he lifted Cassie closer to his face, kissing the small forehead and touching noses with his baby. The moments were quickly ruined by the sound of camera shutters and flashes going off. The hunter looked up and sent a death glare to the two goobers standing across the nursery, one brandishing a camera that would surely be endorsed by the Hamdan International Photography Award while the other just had the latest smart phone. Dean would first procure the pictures and then destroy the any copies, physical or digital, that weren’t within his own clutches. He didn’t have the heart to smash his uncle Balthazar’s camera, but by God he would delete every last image off the damn thing. When it came to Sam’s phone, Dean was ready to play some tennis. Nothing but net, indeed. 

 

“Get the fuck out of here!” Dean hissed under his breath, his physical cues more accurately portraying his anger and irritation.

 

The two goobers took off laughing quietly as they looked over each other’s handy work. Dean rolled his eyes and shook his head at them. He adjusted his hold on little Cassie and settled in. He wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon- not so long as his baby was sleeping. The hunter hated to admit it, but he missed having a baby to take care of. Sure, he also liked being taken care of now that he actually needed it when he was writhing in pain and whatnot, but it was an instinct that went way back… He knew Cas wanted kids and they hadn’t really discussed it since Dean had been playing the role every other week, but… Well, the older Winchester was starting to think that he might have to have a heart to heart with the Big Man about helping Castiel and him make some miracles happen…

 

For now, Dean would content himself with his baby angel. So he relaxed back in the ultra-padded rocking chair, chest-to-chest with Castiel, and let sleep whisk him just far enough away that he could be at ease and still rouse if his angel needed him.

  
He should have guessed those two fuckasses would sneak back in for more pictures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm willing to take requests and suggestions for any fandom works, but especially Supernatural. I'm in a slump and need a little inspiration that isn't as morbid as my current playlist on Amazon Music. Comment down below if there's anything you'd like to see me write and I'll give it my all.
> 
> Affections,  
> Liz


	3. Getting Worse

The time leading up to Friday morning went exceedingly well, but with far too many pictures for the Daddy and Baby pair to be okay with. It was when that morning finally hit that things started to get difficult. The pain was starting again. If Dean didn’t get enough Grace into his body, both through transfusion and consumption within 48 hours, his body was going to start eating itself from the inside out. It wasn’t too bad- just a dull ache- as he rose from bed and went to check on his baby angel. Cas was just starting to open his little atmospheres up to the world as Dean leaned on the railing of the crib. The hunter smiled down at the cherub as he stretched and cooed. 

 

“Mornin’, Kitten.” Dean greeted in a soft voice as he lowered the side. “You ready for a bottle and some cuddles with Papa?”

 

“Papa!” Castiel cheered, babbling on as Dean picked him up.

 

“That’s right, Baby.” Dean hummed, kissing the tiny angel’s forehead. “After breakfast, we’ll stretch and exercise before we cuddle up to watch a show.”

 

Castiel grabbed onto his Papa’s shirt and started whining as he realized two very important things were missing. Dean chuckled and retrieved the pacifier from the crib before heading towards the hall. He paused in the doorway as Castiel continued to fuss. That’s when Papa remembered who they left behind. He turned back around to retrieve Elliot the dragon and Baymax from the rocking chair. Once the plushes were jammed into Dean’s arms, the baby calmed back down and happily sucked on his soother. The hunter may or may not have affectionately muttered something along the lines of ‘spoiled’ under his breath as he carried his little angel downstairs.

 

Now the story behind those two plushes was an amusing one. Since Dean could only stand watching so much  _ Ever After High  _ and  _ Monster High _ , they had started watching family and kid friendly movies. One of the ones that they ended up watching was  _ Pete’s Dragon _ , recommended by Sam. It was safe to say that his younger brother was thoroughly scolded for that one since the dragon, Elliot, was literally hunted at one point and that broke the angel’s heart, therefore shattering Dean’s. The next movie they watched was a recommendation from Balthazar, who put on  _ Big Hero 6 _ . As most would have predicted, Dean and Sam both snapped at the carefree angel since the older brother was murdered within the first 30 minutes which also upset Castiel, who’s adult mind had flashbacks to Hellfire and spiraled to many other traumatic experiences. They had paused the movie and came back to it an hour later once Castiel had settled down but only after Balthazar promised that it had a happy ending that wouldn’t result in any more deaths. 

 

After those experiences, Dean felt terrible and vowed to seek out any and all spoilers for the plots to every kid’s movie before allowing his baby angel to watch them. As his way of making it up to Castiel, he ended up purchasing the baby’s favorite plush friends- Elliot and Baymax- and had Balthazar run out to pick them up from the store while Cas was napping that afternoon. Dean couldn’t be irritated about always having to retrieve the plushes or explain why Cas couldn’t hold onto them while he ate because the baby just wanted to take care of his new favorite characters. What’s more was that each plush was bigger than the tiny angel and it was so endearing and downright adorable to watch Castiel try to cuddle them in his playpen. 

 

“Hey, Dean-o!” Gabriel greeted, as Dean and Cas with their plush entourage entered the living room. 

 

“Gabriel?!” Dean responded, completely caught off guard.

 

“Dada!” Castiel called, his pacifier falling into Papa’s waiting hand.

 

“Hey, Baby Cakes!” Gabriel fawned, taking the baby from his human. “How’s my angel?”

 

Castiel gurgled happily as he nestled close to Gabriel and reached for one of the shimmery golden wings. Daddy let him take a primary feather into his mouth and began to nurse. Dean felt a little dejected as he stood with Baymax and Elliot still clutched to his chest. Sammy was lounging contentedly in the arm chair once again, but Uncle Balthy was missing. The elder Winchester couldn’t have felt more out of place if he tried. He wanted answers and if couldn’t have his Daddy yet, he wanted his baby angel back. Deep down, he understood that Gabriel was Castiel’s first and primary guardian, but if the hunter couldn’t be taken care of, he needed to care for someone. He wasn’t ready to add ‘something’ back onto that list after he’d had to watch, while regressed mind you, his kitten being killed by a werewolf that had originally been camping at the base of the mountain. So he stood there, holding the plushes a little too tightly and tried not let his emotions get to him. He set the stuffed animals down on the couch and muttered something to the others about going up to take a shower while Castiel was occupied.

 

Before anyone could catch what he’d said or the subtle hints that he was miserable, he was headed back up stairs. Once he got up there, he went into the master bathroom and took a nice long shower. If he cried his feelings out while the waterproof tablet sat on the speaker dock with Dean and Castiel’s date night playlist on, then no one had to know. By the time he was dressed and relatively calm, the others had already begun to worry. When he emerged from the bathroom, dressed in his old sweats from high school cheerleading- that’s right, he used to be a cheerleader- and hole-infested Metallica tee, Balthazar was sitting on the bed and waiting for him.

 

“Hey, Sweet Pea.” Balthazar softly greeted, patting his lap to invite the boy over.

 

Dean practically ran over and nearly tackled the angel. His Uncle Balthy simply held like the baby he knew him to be and slowly rocked them from side to side. They stayed like that for a bit before Dean finally looked up at the Brit with tearful emeralds. He had been trying so hard and now he was just cast aside at the first sight of Gabriel. He knew Cas loved him irrevocably and unconditionally, but that didn’t help in the moment and he just wanted his Daddy, but he knew that at least Uncle Balthy and Sammy would make it all better. Unfortunately, that meant he had to tell them and they would probably make him start his regression…

“What’s wrong, Birdy? Why so blue?” Balthazar hummed, cradling Dean to his chest.

 

“Hurty…” Dean mumbled, his bottom lip wobbling a bit.

 

“Lie down on the bed for me, Birdy.” Balthazar instructed, helping the young man out of his shirt. “Do you want your dummy?”

 

He helped the boy lay on his tummy in the middle of the bed. Dean nodded and only seconds later he had his favorite soother in his mouth. Balthazar looked over the darkening markings. During incubation, the human typically began to ingest and get injections of his angel’s Grace. Once he started to create his own Grace, the markings would start to appear. The markings were the beginnings of the wings that the human would develop and typically looked like tattoos. They would darken and begin to fill in with the colors that the wings would be the closer they got to the nesting phase. From there on, the focus would be on developing the proper muscles and strength within them to make the wings functional. It would be a long and painful process, but it was worth it in the end. However, in Dean’s case, both the later stages of incubation and the majority of nesting would be even more excruciating. The reason was that the elder Winchester was fated to become a seraph, which meant four more wings and a thousand times more pain than all the other incubates and nestlings would have to deal with. By the looks of the markings, it wouldn’t be much longer until the actual appendages began to materialize under the skin.

 

“Unca Balthy?” Dean whined, not liking the silence.

 

“The markings are much darker and you’re starting to get your coloration.” Balthazar reported with a sad smile as he looked at the ombre coloring of the wings. “Do you want to know what color they’ll be?”

 

“No…” Dean hiccuped, biting hard on his pacifier.

 

He wasn’t ready for this. It was bad enough that Daddy had told him he was going to be a seraph right off the bat and that it meant he was in for several worlds of hurt. Then to find out that his wings were so close to forming for real? To make matters worse, Daddy wasn’t even able to be here for the moment that he’d been psyching his baby up for- the day he’d find out his wing color. He was full on crying as Balthazar picked him up and carried him to his re-themed nursery. 

 

They ended up changing it to everything that had to do with  _ How to Train Your Dragon.  _ Dean even had a custom made, life size Toothless the Night Fury plush. The walls were painted with images of Berk from the opening scene of the movie and the characters were plastered all over the walls. The crib had been replaced so it reflected the theme, along with the bedding and a mobile that Daddy had spent a month making just for him. The mobile featured Dean’s favorite dragons, stars, clouds, and the moon. It was Dean’s second favorite thing in his nursery. 

 

“I think it’s time to get you properly dressed.” Balthazar narrated, bouncing Dean in his arms. “Then we’ll head downstairs to grab your baba and go cuddle in Daddy’s room while we nurse and watch your favorite movie with Toothless and Cassie.”

 

The angel gathered up the changing supplies and grabbed a white and gray striped bodysuit with Baby Toothless on it. He quickly got his nephew stripped down, diapered, and dressed. By the time he was changed, Dean was a lot calmer. A switch had been flipped in the baby’s head and he knew how things were to go. Uncle Balthy would be making all the decisions and making sure he was taken care of. Honestly, he didn’t know what he’d do without the British angel. Sammy was good too, but he wouldn’t be comfortable watching Dean at Daddy’s and he hated his brother’s house because they had a fucking labradoodle named Charlie, which was the size of a pony. He hated Charlie for two reasons. The first was that he was a dog and Dean was deathly afraid of dogs. Then there was the fact that when Dean had just started to take his first steps while regressed after nearly dying at the hands of Raphael (who no longer existed, thanks to Balthazar), the furry terror had tackled him when he nearly made it to Sammy’s waiting arms. Instead of being snuggled up to his brother, he was on the cold, hard floor with a split lip and a small cut on his forehead. He hadn’t gone back to Uncle Gabriel and Sammy’s since then.

 

Uncle Balthy handed Cassie to his nephew and carried him downstairs. As they approached the living room, he saw Gabriel and Sam cuddled up on the couch with Castiel playing with Baymax on the archangel’s lap. He shook his head and glared at his older brother when Gabriel opened his mouth to speak to him. They’d already had words about Gabriel essentially ignoring their nephew when he needed them just as much Castiel did while Sam was the mediator since he recognized both perspectives. The thing that bothered the Brit was that no one stopped to tell Dean that his uncle was just in another part of the house. He was almost certain that the boy had only slipped so soon because he felt like the odd one out.

 

“Let’s get that bottle, Little Night Fury.” Balthazar cooed, rubbing the baby’s back as he entered the kitchen.

 

The angel cheated a bit and used his Grace to help him prepare the bottle and then the syringe, which Dean nearly dissolved into tears at the sight of. But his nephew was still a brave one as he opted to just not look the thing instead of getting all up in a snit about it. Once the bottle was warm, they headed back upstairs to the master bedroom. Balthazar settled in the middle of the mattress and settled Dean so the little one’s back was against his chest. He grabbed the syringe full of Grace and worked prepped the baby’s offered arm. The angel used his Grace to summon the bandages from the drawer of the nightstand and left them at the ready as he tied an elastic band around Dean’s bicep.

 

“Ready, Little Love?” Balthazar asked, the hand with the syringe hovering above Dean’s vein.

 

Dean tearfully nodded.

 

“In we get,” Balthazar said, inserting the needle into the vein. “Alright now. Remember what we sing now? You know the Plain White T’s song, don’t ya, Bee?”

 

Dean sniffled as he nodded once more.

 

“ _You make it easy, It's easy as one, two, one, two, three, four._ ” Balthazar softly sang, slowly pushing the plunger in on the syringe. “ _There's only one thing, two do, three words four you. I love you._ ”

 

“ _I wuv you_ …” Dean hiccuped.

 

“ _There's only one way, two say, those three words And that's what I'll do. I love you._ ” Balthazar continued, happily noting that they were almost done.

 

“ _I wuv you_ …” Dean cried as the plunger was pushed the last bit of the way.

 

“You did so good, Little Love.” Uncle Balthy praised as he kissed Dean’s temple.

 

In the blink of an eye, the angel had a bandaid with happy little clouds on the spot where the syringe used to be and everything was cleaned up as if the injection of Grace had never happened, which was more than fine with Dean. Uncle Balthy cradled him like an infant in his arms with pillows behind him to support his back. The angel smiled lovingly as he grabbed the bottle of Grace. 

 

“Shall we get down to it with those dragons of yours?” Uncle Balthy proposed.

 

The Brit was surprised when Dean shook his head. He thought for a moment and remembered that sometimes feeding time meant song time. Balthazar considered his options for a moment and decided to go with one he’d sung to the baby before. It was by Bastille, one of Cassie’s favorite artists, and the song was titled, “Glory.” He began to hum the melody, teasing the baby’s lips with the teat of the bottle.

 

“ _Deep in a corner of the night, We were lying in the middle of the road Counting the planes as they flew by. Inconceivable imagining them go And drunk we set the world to rise As we fell and hit our heads upon the curb. You make me laugh until I die Can you think of any better way to choke?_ ” Balthazar sang in quiet, lullaby style. “ _Stories told to me and stories told to you And did you ever feel like they were ringing true? And all their words were glory Well they all, they sounded empty When we're looking up for heaven, Looking up for heaven. Way down here upon the ground When we're lying in the dark, There's no looking up for heaven, Looking up for heaven._

 

“ _Not everything had gone to plan But we made the best of what we had, you know. Passing the drink from hand to hand We admit we really know nothing at all. Stories told to me and stories told to you And was it feeling real, and they were ringing true? And all their words were glory. Well they all, they sounded empty When we're looking up for heaven, Looking up for heaven. Way down here upon the ground When we're lying in the dark, There's no looking up for heaven, Looking up for heaven._ ” Balthazar continued, smiling sadly at his sleepy nephew. “ _I'll take my chances on the curb here with you. We watched the planes leave us behind. On the curb here with you, We watched the planes leave us behind And, and then you put your hand in mine And pulled me back from things divine. Stop looking up for heaven, waiting to be buried… And all their words were glory. Well they all, they sounded empty When we're looking up for heaven, Looking up for heaven. And way down here upon the ground, When we're lying in the dark There's no looking up for heaven, Looking up for heaven…_ ”

 

By the end of the song, Dean had finished the bottle. He was so exhausted from the emotional turmoil and the his body working in overtime to process the Grace that he was already starting to fall asleep. Uncle Balthy eased the bottle away and put the pacifier in its place. Dean snuggled further into his favorite uncle and drifted off into dreamland. Balthazar was still amazed at the things he was getting to experience. He’d have to remember to thank Castiel again for letting him be a part of Dean’s life. This was such a huge and special thing, even more so since it was _the_ _Mortal Prince of Heaven_ that they were incubating, hatching, and nesting. The angel couldn’t think of a more perfect and deserving human than Dean Winchester to be chosen for such a sacred practice and Castiel was hands down the best angel to father this little blessing.

 

“You truly are something special, Little Love.” Balthazar whispered, kissing the baby’s forehead with a look of adoration plastered firmly on his face. “Sleep well, Sweet Prince.”


	4. Wings and Unwanted Things

Sam noticed the dejected look on the archangel when Balthazar and an obviously very little Dean came down. He sighed but kept his mouth shut. He didn’t know Balthazar as well as the rest of them seemed to, but he could tell that the Brit had certainly earned Dean’s trust and that was all Sam needed. The problem they were facing was that Gabriel tended to forget about Dean’s needs whenever Castiel wasn’t an adult- whether like now or when he was just in headspace- which spelled trouble for all of them, especially now when Dean needed to know his Daddy would be back soon. That was another issue as well though. They didn’t actually know when Castiel would be back to normal. They had Atropos thoroughly chained and gagged in the winter room which was in the finished basement. She was pissed and definitely guilty. She had even admitted that she was behind Castiel’s regression. Apparently, Atropos had learned a thing or two from Lachesis and Clotho about weaving and altering soul threads. Unfortunately, she used that knowledge for her own personal gains. She figured that Castiel couldn’t do as much damage if he wasn’t fully grown with all his powers so she took them away the only way she knew how to without just killing her baby brother. 

 

“Gabriel, we have to tell Dean what we know if he’s aged up enough later today.” Sam told him, watching Castiel look around the room with Baymax clutched to his chest. “He needs to know what we know. We owe him that much.”

 

“What do you mean we owe him?” Gabriel questioned. “And I know we do, I was going to try to tell Little Dean but Bal’s still pissed at me.”

 

“I know. Just think about this. How long has Dean spent saving the world? How many times has he died or come too damn close to dying to help us, Gabe?” Sam provoked, giving Gabriel a look. “Besides, now he’s undergoing this transformation that you two and God just kind of shoved on him as his only chance of living at all? That was really low, if you ask me. I know Castiel had no idea until it was already happening, but you knew something was up and God pretty much forced this on him.”

 

“I thought I was supposed to be the little angel on  _ your _ shoulder?” Gabriel griped, running his fingers through Castiel’s dark, shining locks.

 

“Let’s be honest, Babe. You’ll never be the angel on the shoulder type. You’re the trickster with a twisted sense of humor that everyone thinks is the little demon on their other shoulder.” Sam pointed out with an amused grin.

 

“Yeah, well… You’re a sasquatch.” Gabe pouted, lacking a better comeback.

 

“Tell me something I haven’t heard before.” Sam responded, rolling his eyes. “I’m going to head upstairs and check on Dean and Balthazar. Maybe your pervy brother can give us an idea of when we can talk to Dean about Cas.”

 

“Alright, we’ll be here.” 

 

Sam got up from the couch, smooching his archangel as he went, and headed up the stairs to Cas and Dean’s room. Given that Balthazar hadn’t come back down and the nursery door was wide open, he could only assume that they were in the master bedroom. He gently knocked on the door, not wanting to disturb his brother if he was napping after the injection. After a few moments of silence, the door opened on its own- likely a result of the angel’s Grace. As Sam entered the room, he saw his brother curled up as small as possible and clinging to the British angel. His eyes were puffy and there were tear stains on his face.Balthazar was humming a soft melody as he spared a glance and sad smile at Sam. It had taken some getting used to for the younger Winchester to see his brother as a baby, but once he did, it just seemed to click and make sense as if this was the way it had always been.

 

“Hey, how’s he holding up?” Sam asked, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

 

“He’s doing pretty good considering his Daddy isn’t technically here and…” Balthazar trailed off with a sigh, unsure of whether Sam should know yet.

 

“Is there something else?”

 

“Sammy boy, he’s almost in the hatching phase.” Balthazar explained, watching the younger Winchester’s reaction.

 

“The what phase?” Sam pressed, clearly confused.

 

“Let’s start from the top so you know what I’m getting at.” Balthazar began, rocking Dean as the boy started to stir. “Incubation is when Dean started getting Castiel’s Grace so that he had a basis for his body to start making its own. At the same time, his body is working on developing his wings, but it doesn’t have enough energy or Grace at this point to actually start growing the bones, muscles, skin and feathers. So the body develops what we call markings, yeah?”

 

“I’m with you so far.”

 

“Those markings are essentially blueprints for the actual appendages. Towards the end of incubation, the markings get darker and feather coloration starts to show up. You have to have all the details to properly build a skyscraper and it’s the same to make wings. Typically once these pseudo-blueprints are complete, it’s a sign that the Grace is developed enough to start growing the real appendages. Once they start growing, Dean’s considered to be in the hatching phase, which he’ll be in until he’s gotten his feathers. After that, he’s in the nesting phase.” Balthazar continued, shifting the baby in his arms.

 

“That sounds incredibly painful.” Sam cringed. “Is he really going to be able to survive the pain?”

 

“With Cassie’s Grace, it should just feel like a combination of the flu and… He may have some meltdowns because it’ll feel like he’s being tortured again…” Balthazar frowned, rubbing the baby’s back. “If I could take the pain away, I would.”

 

“Same… I still wish I would have been there with him when Raphael took him. He might have been too busy trying to torture both of us and Dean wouldn’t have had to endure so much.” Sam lamented. “You know, I still have no idea who took us out of there… It was so dark and I was so focused on Dean that I never got a good look at the guy. All I know is that he was an angel.”

 

“Really? You never thought it was odd that somehow and at some point after your brother was saved that I started showing up?” Balthazar posed, looking rather amused.

 

“You were the one who saved him? How did you figure it out when even Cas didn’t pick up on it?”

 

“Good old Dad was a bit off when I reported back and that was my cue to go after you boys. I didn’t want to pull Cassie away if it turned out it was nothing. Unfortunately, I was right.”

 

“Yeah, but you still saved my brother.” Sam pointed out. “What were you trying to get at before you explained the whole transformation thing?”

 

“His wing color came in.” Balthazar dismally informed.

 

“Isn’t that a good thing though?” Sam wondered aloud. “I thought that’s what you guys were waiting for?”

 

“To an extent it is, but since Cassie isn’t in the right state to reveal it, Dean’s crushed and terrified.” Balthazar elaborated. “He’s about to enter the hatching phase. It’s incredibly dangerous if he doesn’t have enough of his Daddy’s Grace. There’s no way to ease the pain without Grace and his Daddy’s is the only one that will be able to soothe him.”

 

“Isn’t there any other way to help him through the pain?”

 

“Technically, yes, but it’s very rare for it to happen. I’ve heard stories of future nephilim using their own Grace to soothe the worst of it, but they usually die if their angel doesn’t nurse them enough afterwards. It’s even more rare for them to be able to replenish it on their own.” 

 

“This sounds like the worst thing he could possibly go through… I could lose him again...” Sam hopelessly mourned, trying to come up with alternatives. “Couldn’t you or Gabriel contribute Grace? Like mix it or something to make Cas’ last longer?”

 

“No, Sam. If he consumes another angel’s Grace or another angel uses their Grace on him at all, he’ll be in extreme agony, just like the night that Gabriel dropped Cassie off when he jabbed Dean with his Grace. Only this time will hurt worse since there’s even more Grace and his six wings are coming in soon.” 

 

"Six?! Why the hell does he have more than two?" Sam gaped, struggling to keep his volume down.

 

"He won't be just any old angel, Sam. He's the Mortal Prince of Heaven, at least for now. That means he's going to be much more special than your average angel. Father has blessed him to become a seraph."

 

It was shocking at first, but the more he thought about it, it made sense. His brother was such an amazing person. Why wouldn’t he be one of the angels closest to God? Sam sat contemplating that for awhile, watching his brother sleep. They had to find a way to get Castiel back to normal, but there were only two beings that knew how to do it. One of them was infuriatingly obstinate and shackled in the lowest level of the house. The other was somewhere in the universe, but they had no real idea of where. Maybe he could do something, like learn how to re-weave Castiel’s soul thread. How hard could it be? They’ve done hex bags and countless other complicated rituals and it never went wrong unless someone sabotaged them. The problem would be figuring out who would teach him, not to mention trying to find where Atropos hid the damn thing. Sam sighed and rubbed his face in frustration. There had to be some way to save his brother even without Castiel.

 

Dean’s whine pulled his brother from his musings, “S’mmy…”

 

“Hey, Dude!” Sam grinned, stretching his arms out to his now baby brother. “Did you have a nice nap with Uncle Balthy?”

 

Dean just nodded as he was transferred from his Uncle’s lap to his brother’s. At times like this, Dean was glad that Sam was a giant in comparison. It was super nice to be feel so small and be thoroughly encompassed by the one holding him. Daddy’s wings were fine and all, but to have strong arms to hold him close was like a paradise in and of itself. Dean grinned and hummed happily up at his brother, still sucking on his soother.

 

“Dada?” Dean asked, looking between the two with his head tilted to the side- like father like son.

 

“I’m sorry, Buddy, but he’s not back with us yet.” Sam apologized.

 

He felt like the biggest jerk in the world as Dean’s lip wobbled with the promise of a meltdown- or maybe a tantrum if he felt angry enough. Instead of pushing away, his ‘baby’ brother just clung to him and cried out his frustrations. The Little wasn’t used to being separated like this. Castiel wasn’t normally gone for this long. 

 

“He’ll back soon, Little Love.” Balthazar blurted out, running his fingers through the soft tufts of the boy’s sandy hair. “We’ll get him back for you and everything will be alright.”

 

“Hey, De?” Sam nudged the baby to get his attention.

 

Dean  peeked up at him, his eyes watery with tears.

 

“You want to hear a song, Dude?” Sam offered, already having one in mind. He grinned as he the baby nodded, sniffling all the while. “Yes I understand That every life must end, uh huh, As we sit alone I know someday we must go, uh huh. Oh I'm a lucky man To count on both hands The ones I love. Some folks just have one Yeah others they got none, uh huh. Stay with me, Let's just breathe. Practiced on our sins Never gonna let me win, uh huh. Under everything Just another human being, uh huh Yeah, I don't want to hurt. There's so much in this world To make me bleed. Stay with me You're all I see. Did I say that I need you? Did I say that I want you? Oh if I didn't, I'm a fool you see No one knows this more than me As I come clean I wonder everyday As I look upon your face, uh huh. Everything you gave And nothing you would take, uh huh. Nothing you would take. Everything you gave. Did I say that I need you? Did I say that I want you? Oh if I didn't, I'm a fool you see No one knows this more than me. I come clean. Nothing you would take Everything you gave Hold me 'till I die, Meet you on the other side…”

 

By the end of Pearl Jam’s “Just Breathe,” Dean had shed a few tears, but he definitely felt a lot better. Sammy always looked out for him and made sure he was okay. He loved his big-little brother so much and he couldn’t express it if he tried because there was no way that could convey it. He just made sure to look after Sam when he could and to remind him that he loved him, even if it was a chick flick thing to do. Daddy had been teaching him that it was okay to get all touchy-feely every once and awhile. He was finally starting to get comfortable with it.

 

“S’mmy…” Dean spoke up around his pacifier.

 

“What’s up, Babes?” Sammy cooed, rocking them side to side.

 

“I wuv you…” Dean told him, looking up with the most honest earthy greens the world had ever seen.

 

“I love you too, Dean.” Sam responded, his heart melting from the sweet sentiment his brother rarely ever spoke.

 

“Cassie?” Dean pushed, looking to his rainbow-winged uncle.

 

“Do you want to go see little Cassie, Lovie?” Balthazar clarified.

 

Dean nodded, playing with his brother’s long hair. The soft brown waves were down to Sam’s shoulders, which made it much more fun to play with. The baby had a sneaking suspicion that his brother knew as much and grew it out for his enjoyment.

 

“Well, let’s get some pants on first so you won’t get the chills.” Balthazar narrated, getting up from the bed. “I’ll be right back with a pair and then we’ll head down to see Cassie and Papa Gabe.”

 

“Papa…” Dean sniffled as his uncle departed to the nursery.

 

“What’s the matter, De?” Sam gently pressed.

 

“Papa fowget me… Not wike me no mow…” Dean half-whispered, clearly upset by the thought.

 

“Oh, Dean… No, Baby. He does love you, a lot.” Sam assured his brother. “I know it seems like that, but he’s just worried about Cassie and getting Daddy back to you. He doesn’t worry about you directly because he knows that your Sammy and Uncle Balthy are right here for you.”

 

“P’omiss?” Dean slurred around his binky.

 

“I promise. If anyone other than your Daddy knows your Papa well enough to say so, it’s your Sammy.” He comforted as Balthazar came back in.

 

“Did I miss something?” The Brit questioned, reaching for his nephew.

 

“Someone just felt his Papa didn’t like him anymore.” Sam explained, laying the baby on the bed.

 

“Oh, Baby, of course Papa still loves you. He’s just worried about a lot.” The angel soothed, slipping the high school cheer squad sweatpants onto Dean. “Let’s go see him and he can tell you himself.”

 

With that, Balthazar took Dean into his arms and carried him downstairs with Sam in tow. When they reached the living room, they found Gabriel sitting on the floor assisting the tiny Castiel in jumping, holding the cherub in the air to encourage him to stretch his wings. The archangel looked up at them with a huge grin, sitting Castiel down on the floor as the tiny angel turned to see who had joined him and his Daddy.

 

“Papa, a certain angel-to-be needs you.” Balthazar reluctantly announced, taking a seat on the couch with Dean in his lap. “You need to have some time with Dean. I can watch Cassie while you spend some quality time with our Baby Bee.”

 

“Of course,” Gabriel agreed,  letting Sam take his cygnet.

 

Dean was watching him with teary eyes as he got to his feet. The archangel picked the little hunter up as if he were the most precious and fragile thing in the whole universe. The baby made himself as small as possible while he was held chest to chest with his Papa. It felt so nice to have the older angel’s attention again. It had been a long time since Gabriel had even held him. At least two or three months had passed since Papa gave him this kind of attention. Since incubation had progressed, Dean had been much weaker and more infantile so travel wasn’t exactly an option, even if it was just up the mountain. With Gabriel and Sam having their own lives, including a dog to take care of, Castiel and Dean almost never saw them and when they did it was just long enough to chat and have dinner.

 

“Papa…” Dean whined pitifully, fisting his hands in the man’s shirt.

 

“What’s the matter, Deanie, huh?” Gabriel fawned, bouncing the Little in his arms as they made their way to the ‘cuddler.’ “Tell Papa all about it, Bitty Bee.” 

 

“He might need a change.” Balthazar suggested, taking Castiel from Sam and distracting the tiny angel with Elliot the dragon.

 

“I can grab the changing supplies.” Sam offered, re-adjusting the hem of his faded ocean blue tee.

 

“That would be awesome, Babe.” Gabriel thanked him, pushing against the floor to make the spacious recliner glide. “Now, what’s all the fuss about?”

 

“‘Ings, Papa…” Dean mumbled, hiding his face in the archangel’s neck.

 

“What about your wings, Babes?” Gabriel prompted, rubbing the baby’s back.

 

“Color…”

 

Gabriel looked at Balthazar for confirmation, mouthing the question of whether or not Dean knew what the color was yet. Balthazar shook his head and gestured with his gaze to Castiel. The older angel guessed that meant that the baby was dead set on not knowing until Daddy was back so they could find out together. Before he could investigate further, Sam was back with the changing supplies. Gabriel supposed it was probably easier to just look since he had to undress Dean to change him anyway. He slid down to the floor with Dean in his arms, pretending they were going down a slide in slow motion, which earned a smile small from the baby. 

 

“Come on, cutie patootie, let’s get that diaper changed.” Gabriel commentated as he laid Dean down on the floor.

 

The archangel lost his grip for a split second as Dean got closer to the floor which led to the baby bonking his head with just enough force to hurt. The little one spit his pacifier out and began to cry as his head throbbed ever so slightly. At that point it was hard to tell whether it was the Grace or or the fact that he actually had a headspace after months of practice that made him react as if he really were only a year old.

 

“Papa’s sorry, Babes.” Gabe apologized profusely, leaning over to kiss the baby’s forehead and retrieve the abandoned pacifier. “Papa didn’t mean to, Deanie. He’s so sorry!”

“You’re okay, Little Prince.” Balthazar reassured the boy from the couch.

 

Castiel’s lip wobbled, feeling bad for Dean who he was starting to remember was sometimes his baby when he, himself, was a big boy- a daddy. A part of him, the part that was still a full grown angel, knew the baby needed him and wanted nothing more than to comfort the little one. So he did the only thing he could while stuck as a cherub. He grabbed Baymax and shoved it at Sam’s face as he sat down on the floor between the couch and the crying Little. Needless to say, the Winchester was startled and jumped a bit with a confused look on his face.

 

“Bebe!” Castiel stated, dropping the plush into Sam’s waiting hands.

 

“You want De to have it for now?” Sam asked.

 

“Bebe…” Castiel repeated.

 

“Okay, Buddy.” Sam smiled.

 

Sam offered the plush to his tiny big brother, who was still crying as Gabe cleaned the baby’s paci using his own saliva- Dean actually loved that because Papa ate lots of sweets so his paci would taste like candy and cookies. After a moment, Dean hugged the plush and accepted the offered soother. He looked up at the tiny angel on his Uncle Balthy’s lap as Papa changed his diaper and wanted to cry. The big part of him knew that was his Daddy stuck as a baby and the little part was mad, mad, mad but also kind of sad about it. Daddy was right there! But he was also not… Dean didn’t even know if the cherub remembered that he was fully grown just a few days ago and that he had a baby to take care of. It was so disheartening to think that Castiel barely remembered him.

 

“Upsie daisies, Babes.” Gabe fawned, helping Dean sit up once he was securely wrapped in a fresh diaper. “Sam, can you pull up the back of his onesie?”

 

“Sure, but shouldn’t it be pulled down so you can close the snaps?” Sam responded.

 

“Yeah, but I wanna check something first.” Gabriel responded, making a silly face and being rewarded with a giggle from the baby. 

 

Sam did as asked and lifted up the back of the onesie until the fabric was scrunched up and held just above Dean’s shoulder blades. He gasped as he saw the markings for the first time. They were… Beautiful and huge… It was such an awe-inspiring sight and the coloring was beautiful. The way the shades of cyan, the most prominent being a pastel mint, blended together looked like layers of paint dripping down over one another. He knew from talking to Gabriel about the archangel’s wings that Dean’s wings would start out tiny just like a baby bird and then grow until they were the appropriate size to carry the hunter through the air. Sam looked to his soon to be husband and saw the archangel was grinning like a fool. Apparently the younger hunter wasn’t the only one that adored the baby’s markings and the idea of seeing him with tiny little wings peeking out from behind him.

 

“They’re stunning.” Sam smiled softly, rubbing a gentle hand over the baby’s back.

 

“They certainly are. Dad did a great job.” Gabriel agreed, redressing Dean and sitting back in the cuddler with his ‘grandbaby.’

 

“I’m going to take Cassie upstairs for a change and a nap.” Balthazar notified the others as the cherub yawned and rubbed at his tired eyes.

 

“Okay. We’ll see you when he wakes up.” Gabriel replied, making the recliner glide once again.

 

Balthazar got up from the couch and took Castiel upstairs while Sam squeezed his way into the cuddler with his fiancee and brother. The two fawned over Dean and listed off ideas of what to do to kill some time. They ultimately decided on watching the new television series for Dean’s favorite book and movie franchise,  _ How to Train Your Dragon _ , on Netflix called  _ Dragons: Race to the Edge _ . It was actually fairly entertaining for Sam and Gabriel since the show explored the other types of dragons that were only touched on in the movies. They were happy to note that the series didn’t touch most of the main plot from the movies, which had greatly upset Dean. It was still his favorite fandom, but knowing the story of the main character, Hiccup, was like a dagger to the boy’s bleeding heart. Hell, they almost made Sam cry because he could relate as well. After all, the timeline was that Hiccup lost his mother as a baby when a dragon took her and set the house on fire and then in the second movie Hiccup’s father dies trying to protect his son from his own dragon. That was only the movies too. The books were just as heartbreaking if not more so.

 

The trio had made it to season two when they heard Balthazar shouting with joy from the upstairs. Then they heard a voice they thought they wouldn’t be able to hear for weeks, that deep, velvety sandpaper sound that was uniquely Castiel. Just as Gabriel and Sam had started to scramble up the stairs with Dean in the archangel’s arms, Balthazar’s tone changed from joy to terror. 

 

“WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT COME UPSTAIRS!” Balthazar shouted, poking his head out of Cassie’s nursery with a look anguish and horror. “DO NOT BRING MY NEPHEW UP HERE! I WILL NOT HURT THEM THIS WAY!”

 

With that the angel ducked back into the room as the seraph screamed in pain. Something clearly had gone horribly wrong. All three were terrified to know, but they wanted- needed- to know what happened. They could hear Balthazar trying to comfort Castiel as the angel continued verbalize his torment through unholy shouts and screams of agony. Gabriel couldn’t take it any longer and bolted the rest of the way to the nursery, still holding onto the baby, with Sam following on his heels. What they saw when they entered was a such a traumatic and heart-wrenching scene. Dean was wailing as he clung to Baymax, his binky lodging between himself and the plush. Sam half-heartedly attempted to soothe his brother, too distracted by all the Grace and blood. Balthazar was coaxing Castiel as he cauterized the wounds on his younger brother’s back. The part that upset Gabriel, who had tears streaming down his face, almost as much as his baby and grandbaby both suffering in some way was the sight of those beautiful black wings lying on the floor spattered and and drenched in the fluids that symbolized Castiel’s lives; the blood of his human host and the Grace of his soul and angelic form. 

 

By the Grace and Will of God, Gabriel was going to find whoever was responsible for this and torture them until they died a slow, painful death.


	5. Visual Intermission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once again, Winchester1989 convinced me to share my crappy doodles with the class.

Papa Dean and Baby Castiel

Papa Dean cuddling Baby Castiel during nap time in the rocking chair.


	6. Secondary Architects

To say Dean was upset and terrified was the understatement of the year. The angel’s wings were lying on the floor in a heap covered in blood and Grace, the black pitch and maps of the galaxy replaced by an ashen gray. The angel was swaying and leaning on Uncle Balthy with angry red scars where the joints to his wings used to be connected to his back, along his spine. There was dried Grace and blood all over his naked flesh- the only clothing on him being a diaper- likely courtesy of Balthazar. There was no way that was his Daddy because Daddy would never be wingless no matter what- even when he fell he still had his wings, they just weren’t functional… He wanted so badly to be anywhere else because he was scared, but no one was paying attention to his wailing- which, fair, since they thought the angel was going to bleed to death- but it only upset him more. Dean kicked and squirmed, wanting to get down so he could crawl across the hallway to hide in his playroom, or maybe his nursery, where he could cuddle with Toothless or curl up in his crib…

It took a couple minutes before Papa Gabe let him down. He tried his damnedest to get outta dodge, but Sammy snapped out of it and tried to grab him. So Dean took a swing at him, dropping Baymax and his binky in the process, and actually managed to land a blow to his brother’s left eye with his balled up fist. The baby froze as he realized what he’d done, but he was even more scared because he was surely going to be punished for doing something bad so he booked it- managing to run to his nursery and only fall a couple times. He grabbed Toothless- who was custom made to be life-size- and dragged his plush protector into the closet, laying on his tummy on top of the dragon with his legs and arms straddling the giant stuffie.

Back in Castiel’s nursery, the four adults were stunned as Sam stood with a hand over his rapidly bruising eye socket. Balthazar had helped Castiel to sit in the rocking chair in the corner and Gabriel was kneeling next to him. The archangel was holding his fiance’s hand as he looked up to see if the man was okay.

“Did he really just punch you?” Balthazar questioned.

“It’s not the first time if don’t you count that it was technically Baby De instead of Big Dean.” Sam answered, pulling his hand away and flinching. “How bad is it?”

“It’s definitely turning colors, Babe.” Gabriel answered, grimacing at the sight. “Who knew the baby still had that much strength as a little guy?”

“I did, but he knows better and I’m sure he feels awful.” Castiel spoke up, every word a painful stabbing sensation until Balthazar healed him the rest of the way.

“What did he do to you?” Sam asked, surprised that Dean would do anything mean to the seraph.

“We were out at the mall to get some more clothes for him and stop at Build-A-Bear since they had a promotion for Stormfly and a few of the other dragons from How to Train Your Dragon. He was regressed at the time and had fallen asleep in the pram. We had just gotten to Build-A-Bear when he started having a nightmare from his time as Big Dean, likely about Hell or Raphael.” Castiel explained, carefully stretching his tender back muscles. “I was trying to soothe him and prevent a scene, but I ended up causing one. He was whimpering and starting to struggle against the straps so I tried to unbuckle him and pick him up. His hunting instincts kicked in and he lashed out at me. Since my Grace isn’t really functional for anything but nursing him, I actually got injured. He broke my nose and nearly dislocated my jaw.”

“Holy shit…” Sam breathed, astonished. “What happened after that?”

“Well, Dean had a breakdown and he was clearly sorry for what he did. I picked him up like nothing happened and tried to calm him down because he was wailing at the top of his lungs.” Castiel continued. “Naturally, everyone’s eyes were on us since I couldn’t muster a mirage to trick them into seeing him as a baby. The manager came over and asked if everything was okay.”

“What did you tell her?” Balthazar pressed, curious since he’d never heard about this. “How long ago was this?”

“It was about six months ago, I believe. I told her that Dean had an Autism Spectrum Disorder and on rare occasions lashed out when he was overstimulated. She helped to patch me up and then made sure the other patrons didn’t make a big deal or try to record us. The manager went so far as to have a young woman named Natalie take care of us because she was studying human services with a specialty in Autism.” Castiel responded, getting to his feet. “Natalie did wonders for helping Dean relax and wasn’t even bothered by the fact that he was infantile. She was the only employee we dealt with the whole time and it was perfect. Dean was all smiles and giggles by the time we left… Even Natalie was laughing because he kept kissing my injuries. She even made a joke about wanting to take him home with her, which made him cling to me like a little koala.”

“Why haven’t we heard about this before?” Gabriel pressed, just as baffled as Balthazar.

“It wasn’t a big deal to me so why bring it up?” Castiel brushed off. “I need to go change and comfort my baby.”

“One of us should go with you.” Gabriel spoke up, looking concerned.

“You go take care of your future husband and I’ll accompany Castiel.” Balthazar instructed, putting an arm around the younger angel.

Gabriel frowned but went along with it since he was concerned about Sam. Balthazar and Castiel both felt their hearts ache as they followed the lovebirds out of the nursery and heard Dean’s broken cries. The poor baby was probably having an awful time and feeling very alone, not to mention confused and scared. As Sam and Gabe headed downstairs, Castiel and Balthazar headed into the bedroom. After a bit of a spat with Balthazar, who was insisting the young angel wear the diaper because he had more important things to worry about than going to the bathroom, Castiel was dressed in his usual attire- sweatpants, a v-neck, and a cardigan with fuzzy socks- and headed to the nursery. Standing just inside the door, the seraph had to fight back a laugh. All he could see was the tail of the life-size Toothless plush poking out of the mostly closed closet. Balthazar, however, couldn’t resist the urge to chuckle at the sight, though it had a sad undertone to it. They both knew very well how upset Dean could get and neither were sure if this was only the beginning of this particular meltdown.

“De, Baby Bee?” Castiel called as he crossed the room and opened the closet more. “Sweet Pea, come see Daddy…”

“No…” Dean hiccuped, burying his face in Toothless’s neck. Well, that was a first…

“Why not, Honeybee?” Castiel asked, sitting down next to his baby and the plush with Balthazar following suit.

“Not Dada…” Dean sniffled.

“What makes you say that, Lovie?” Balthazar gently pressed, rubbing the baby’s likely aching back.

“No ‘ingies… Dada has ‘ingies…”

“Oh sweetheart… It’s still me, I promise. I’m still the same Daddy, but some meanie took my wings.” Castiel attempted to explain, hoping to resolve the issue quickly because he could hear his baby’s tummy growling.

“Nuh uh…”

“He’s not lying, Birdy. Your Uncle Balthy would never lie to you and neither would Daddy.” Balthazar pointed out. “I was right there when Daddy came back and I saw what happened. Some invisible meanie plucked Daddy’s wings right off his back.”

“Bad Big Papa!” Dean huffed, finally looking at the two caregivers next to him.

Castiel and Balthazar couldn’t help but bust out into laughter as Dean’s response. When Dean had met Chuck (who the baby also knew to be God) for the first time while in headspace, he had deemed the man to be his ‘Big Papa’ because Gabriel was Daddy’s Daddy and Chuck was Gabriel’s Daddy so that made both of them Papa but using the same term for both got confusing. Dean had a bit of a tearful tantrum when the two kept responding at the same time and not understanding who he wanted. So the solution was to call Chuck, “Big Papa” while Gabriel remained “Papa” since the archangel was part of the baby’s life before his father was. Another reason Dean’s pouty response was humorous was because he knew that Big Papa could still do things for or to them even when he wasn’t around. So, when Balthazar said the culprit was invisible, Dean’s mind automatically went to his all- powerful Heavenly grandpa.

“Well, it might not be Big Papa’s fault, remember?” Castiel reminded his baby as he reigned in his laughter. “There’s other meanies that we can’t necessarily see.”

That was clearly the wrong thing to say in order to defend his Creator since Dean immediately dissolved into tears again. His poor baby was probably having flashbacks to the Daeva and maybe even the Acheri… Castiel felt awful as he cradled his baby in his lap, arms wrapped tightly around him, and rocked them back and forth. Balthazar sighed as he saw the self-loathing written all over Castiel’s face. He supposed he should tell Castiel what they knew so far.

“Cassie, we need to talk.” Balthazar informed his brother. “You should probably leave Dean with Gabriel and Sam.”

“No! Be good! P’omiss!” Dean cried, clinging to his Daddy. “No go!”

“It’s alright, Baby Bee, Daddy’s not going anywhere and neither are you.” Castiel promised, kissing the baby’s forehead. “You’re always Daddy’s good boy, my little angel…”

“Well, let’s at least join the two goobers downstairs before we delve into the madness.” Balthazar reluctantly submitted. “Is there anything we need from up here before we head down?”

“Well, Cassie, his blankie and his binky are usually the must haves.” Castiel responded, slowly and carefully getting to his feet and adjusting Dean to be perched on his hip.

“Anything else?” Balthazar prompted as he gathered the items from around the room.

“Toofiss…” Dean added, making grabby hands at his dragon.

“Baby, Toothless is really big… He might not fit.” Castiel attempted to reason.

“No Toofiss?” Dean questioned, his brows furrowing as his lip wobbled.

“I can get him if you two take all this.” Balthazar offered, still struggling to say no to his precious nephew.  
“What do you say to Uncle Balthy, Dean?” Castiel prompted, slipping the pacifier in his baby’s mouth and tucking the comfort items between them.

“Fank ‘oo..” Dean slurred, leaning towards the older angel and pressing his pacifier to the Brit’s cheek as his way giving kisses without losing the soother.

“You’re welcome, Little Prince.” Balthazar responded, kissing the baby’s cheek and retrieving the plush from the closet. “Let’s get downstairs, yeah?”

Castiel led the way with the baby on his hip and found Gabriel and Sam snuggling in the arm chair. Sam was holding one of Dean’s character themed ice packs to his eye as they took their seat in the cuddler. As Balthazar dragged the dragon plush to the center of the living room, Dean went from whimpering to flat out crying and nearly falling out of his Daddy’s arms to reach for his Sammy. He needed to let his Sammy know he was sorry and he’d never be such a bad boy again. The younger Winchester was more than happy to cross over to his brother and snuggle with him and Castiel while the baby gently kissed at the spot next to Sam’s bruising eye.

“It’s okay, De. Sammy’s fine,” Sam assured him, giving his tiny big brother kisses in return. “I forgive you. I know you didn’t mean it.”

Though he knew Sam meant what he said, his brother’s words did nothing to assuage his guilt. All those years ago when they were still in the process of trying to shut down the apocalypse, they had faced that bastard siren that became everything Dean wanted and after nearly killing his brother in a literal blind rage, the older Winchester swore he would never lay a hand on his Sammy like that ever again. Yet here he was giving his little brother a black eye just for being concerned while he was in headspace and trying to cope with a traumatic event. The younger Winchester was just trying to take care of him and keep him safe, just like Dean used to do before his regressions.

“S’mmy…” Dean fussed, trying to climb in his brother’s lap while still holding onto his Daddy.

“Hey, Buddy, it’s okay. I promise I forgive you and it’s alright.” Sam soothed as he cradled his brother in his arms and glanced the relief on Castiel’s face- he was probably still in pain. “You’re okay. Daddy’s okay. Sammy, Papa and Uncle Balthy are okay too.”

“Love, we need to have that chat now.” Balthazar spoke up, taking a seat on the sofa.

“What is this about, Bal?” Castiel asked, running his fingers through Dean’s hair.

“I already talked to Gabriel about this awhile back and we both agree that you need to have Secondary Architects for Dean.” Balthazar answered. “Also, we know all about what led to your physical regression, but we’ll get to that later since it’s under control now.”

“I’m with Bal on this because I want Sammy to have you and Bal as secondaries in case something prevents me from nursing him.” Gabriel added. “Bal and I were speaking through our bond earlier when you lost your wings. Your Grace won’t allow you to nurse Dean in any capacity, even through the other methods we spoke about because it will be too preoccupied with trying to recreate your wings since that is the primary way of nursing our young.”

“I’ve already called the Old Man and He’s on His way here. If you haven’t come to agree with us by the time He gets here on Monday morning, He’ll be talking some sense into you.” Balthazar informed him. “We only want to help you and Dean. I know I haven’t known him as long as you and Gabe, but he’s still very dear to me. I can’t bear the thought of losing him, for your sake and ours. Sammy is terrified that he’s about to lose his brother again.”

“Dude!!! Not cool!” Sam complained, shooting his newly discovered uncle a look of utter betrayal.

“Dean will never be gone. Even if he dies, Father will bring him back, just like He has before.” Castiel brushed off, ignoring Sam’s protest.

Gabriel and Balthazar exchanged a look as they spoke through their bond, trying to decide who should tell Castiel the truth.Ultimately, it fell on Balthazar since he could take Castiel’s wrath and despair in stride just as he had every other time some important and often upsetting detail needed to be shared. There was something about the British angel that seemed to disarm Castiel to some extent and made him a little less volatile no matter how he felt.

“Castiel, there’s something Father neglected to tell you about the Nephilim Trials.” Balthazar began.

“Tell me something I don’t know.” Castiel dryly responded, already suspicious.

“Oh, he’s about to…” Gabriel breathed, looking none too thrilled. “Come on, Dean-o. Let’s go show Sammy that waterfall out back.”

The archangel got to his feet and crossed the living room to take his grandbaby in his arms. Sam got up, realizing it was something that was probably more of a private matter, and followed them outside. Dean was in tears within seconds as the three sat down by the small pond below the mini-waterfall. Sam and Gabe did their best to try and soothe the baby while Castiel fought the urge to go out there and snatch his baby back up.

“Castiel.” Balthazar called in a serious tone.

“What is it, Balthazar?” Castiel pressed, growing agitated.

“There’s no reviving him if he dies during the Nephilim Trials.” Balthazar bluntly exposed. “The Grace doesn’t just destroy his corporeal form, it decimates his soul. Even his soul thread, the one thing that’s supposed to remain even after his soul is gone as a reminder of him, is completely destroyed.”

“You’re kidding. This is just one of Daddy’s bad jokes.” Castiel dismissed, refusing to believe it. “He always did have the worst sense of humor…”

“Castiel, your Daddy isn’t playing a trick on you and this isn’t a joke. Dear Old Dad will be explaining the same thing to you and you know He wouldn’t kid about something like the fate of His beloved Winchesters. Those boys are His pride and joy, His only grandchildren to date. He would never joke about their well-being.” Balthazar assured him. “His soul thread is a separate manifestation. Once it’s gone, anything and everything Dean is gone. The physical form it resides within is usually inconsequential to the soul’s existence. It’s just a home for it. If that earthly form is destroyed by something as lethal as Grace, it eats the soul as well because the Grace has bound the soul to the form.”

Castiel seemed to cave into himself as he sank further into the chair, wincing at the dull pain all down his back, along his spine. Balthazar felt awful but Castiel needed to know why he needed Secondary Architects. It was emotional blackmail to convince him this way, but it was better than risking Dean dying before the younger angel finally got the big picture. Cas seemed to feel worse, cringing even, as he heard Dean’s wails through the sliding glass deck doors.

“I… He… H-he really won’t exist on any plane if I fuck this up?” Castiel clarified, looking to his brother with rainy skies.

“Not on a single one. If he dies before we can extract his soul, which is next to impossible to do even for angels, then he ceases to exist forever, anywhere and everywhere.” Balthazar confirmed.

“Does Gabe know this?”

“Yep, that’s why he took the tykes outside. He didn’t think they needed to hear it right now.”

“How can he know this and still be willing to put Sammy through the Nephilim Trials?”

“Exactly how he does, Love. You of all people should know that choice isn’t always something we have.” Balthazar reminded him. “Dad forced your hand and he’ll force Gabriel’s just the same.”

“But why…” Castiel wondered aloud.

“Because too many people want your babies, your fiancés, dead. Besides, Dad won’t stand for them experiencing the trauma and confusion of dying over and over again. We’ve all had to watch it far too many times before.” Balthazar sympathetically explained. “I know that it seems like keeping them human and repeatedly reviving them seems like the better option when the alternative is risking losing him completely and for forever, but if you do it right and take the precautions, he’ll live and be damn near invincible. The only thing that will be able to kill him is an angel blade and he’ll be able to fight back then. In fact, I’m sure he could overpower just about any and every angel once he’s one of us.”

That coaxed a smile out of the younger angel and lightened his tragic blue eyes. The thought of the man who was currently his baby- his diapered, emotional, orally fixated, cuddle-demanding baby- standing tall amongst a throng of angels and ready to brawl, knocking each one on their ass in a matter of seconds, was amusing to say the least. Dean was probably far more adept at fighting than any of them since he wasn’t able to rely on invulnerability and strength growing up like they were. It was hard to cave and say yes even with that thought in mind because he had promised Dean it would just be the two of them no matter what. If the seraph allowed his brothers to become secondaries, then it wouldn’t be just them anymore. At the same time, he knew his Dean was fairly reasonable and would understand that it was just a precaution. Still, there was also the jealousy that Dean wouldn’t be all his anymore and would be tainted by foreign Grace. He’d have to talk with his Father to see if there was anyway to speed up the healing process so he could get back to nursing his baby.

“Can I please have my baby now?” Castiel pleaded, unable to bear the screams and cries of misery and hunger coming from his little one.

“Not just yet, but we’ll be quick about this part because I’m feeling your pain, Love.” Balthazar bargained, the seraph’s pain mirrored on his own face. “Just like when Dean nearly died at the hands of Raphael, Atropos was behind your physical regression, though Dad didn’t try to cover for her sorry ass this time. She mangled your soul thread in the process since she’s not used to the intricacies that Clotho specializes in. I think that whoever attempted to rework it to restore you to your full form frayed one of the fibers resulting in the loss of your wings.”

“It makes sense, I suppose.” Castiel considered. “At least, the part about Atropos does anyway.”

“You should know, she’s been detained in the Winter room downstairs. Gabriel and I both ensured that she wasn’t going anywhere. Dad hasn’t decided what to do about her since she is part of the Fates.” Balthazar added, getting to his feet and helping his brother up.

“I’m sure He could make someone to take her place.” Castiel rolled his eyes, allowing his older brother to guide him to the deck and down to the yard. “Dean, sweetheart! Daddy’s right here!”

Dean didn’t let up on the water works as he reached for his Daddy, a snotty, salt water mess adorning his thoroughly red face. The baby had been throwing quite the tantrum in the short time they’d been outside, but had restrained himself enough that it was more verbal than anything. He was determined to never hurt his family again if he could help it.

“Dada!” Dean practically screeched, desperately wiggling in his Papa’s arms.

“I know, Honeybee!” Castiel cooed, picking his baby up and leaning into Balthazar for support. “We’re just the biggest meanies for making you come out here and be away from Dada.”

“Uh-h-huhnnn…” Dean sniffled, coughing harshly from the snot that attempted to drain down the back of his throat with the spit already being swallowed.

“You’re alright, Birdy.” Balthazar soothed, pulling a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and cleaning the baby’s face. “There we go! No more ickyness.”

“Let’s get some breakfast, shall we?” Gabriel suggested, looking a bit strung out as he got to his feet with an arm around Sam.

“Sounds good to me. All I’ve had is coffee so far.” Sam agreed, playing with his archangel’s caramel locks.

With that, they all headed inside. Gabriel and Balthazar made brioche french toast with scrambled eggs, chopped fruit, and bacon. Sam fed himself since he wasn’t in headspace while Castiel fed his fussy baby, having to find different ways of convincing Dean to eat with each bite. It was obvious that his baby bee was feeling awful and by the time they finished breakfast, the older Winchester had a slight fever. There was also something else different about Castiel’s baby that the seraph couldn’t quite put his finger on. There was more of an obvious innocence and youthfulness about the man that he didn’t remember noticing before. Castiel tossed these thoughts aside as Dean showed the usual signs of an impending meltdown- the whine, the lip wobble, the watery eyes, and the increase of spastic movements.

“Goodness sakes, De.” Balthazar commented, handing a damp baby washcloth to Castiel. “You’re quite the little fuss master today. Are your ‘Ingies’ bothering you?”

“Are the Markings darkening again?” Castiel questioned, washing his indignant baby’s sticky face.

“Try something a little more… well, worrisome, since Daddy can’t properly nurse him and wasn’t even here when he originally found out why his back hurt so much.” Gabriel answered, making up a chilled bottle of Castiel’s Grace from the mason jars in the fridge. “Try that. It should help relieve some of the heat and soothe him a bit more.”

“Thanks, Daddy.” Castiel replied, attempting to hand the bottle over to Dean so he could help clean up. “Sweet Bee, it’s your favorite.”

Dean refused to grab the bottle when Daddy tried to hand it to him. Daddy set it down on the tray of the high chair and turned away with a sad sigh. Sammy watched as Dean whined and knocked the bottle off of its perch. The younger Winchester was getting more and more concerned about his brother as he thought about what was happening and what Dean was usually like in headspace. The baby was usually very happy and snuggly with some shy, clingy spells when someone he wasn’t used to was around. This was a whole new side to Baby De- the tantrums, the misery, the leech-like desperation for physical contact… This wasn’t what his brother was normally like and Sam wasn’t entirely sure it was because he was going into the Hatching phase. No, Dean was a well- behaved baby in almost every situation. Sure he’d have his upsets where he’d cry for hours on end, but he’d never thrown his things, and most certainly never took a swing at anyone, let alone his family. The Grace had to be doing something abnormal and painful, had to be harming his brother, to garner this kind of reaction from him.

“How are you s’posed to drink your baba if ya toss it, Buddy?” Sam asked, retrieving the bottle from the floor, detaching and rinsing the mouthpiece off.

“Careful, Sammy!” Gabriel cautioned. “My Grace may feel like a fruity popsicle to you, but Cassie’s will seriously hurt you. We’re talking third degree burns.”

“I’ll be fine, Babe.” Sam insisted, not paying attention as he tipped the bottle too far and spilled the acid-like substance on his right hand.

Everyone froze- even Baby De- and held their breath as they waited to see how Sam would react. Gabriel sprang into action as his fiancé became his wailing toddler within seconds. Balthazar snatched up Dean’s bottle, screwing the top back on and setting it to the side, and ran to grab the first aid kit from the bathroom. Gabriel carefully rinsed off the little bit of Grace that had stayed on his little boy’s hand, repeating comforting phrases over and over while Castiel retrieved the bottle and his crying baby from the high chair. Poor Dean had gone through more than enough trauma already and Father knew the baby didn’t need to see his brother with third degree burns and regressing.

“I know, sweet bee, but he’lol be okay. Papa and Baba are gonna make it all better.” Castiel cooed, bouncing his upset baby in his arms. “How about we cuddle with Toothless while we wait for Sammy to come snuggle?”

Dean barely nodded at the suggestion as he watched over Daddy’s shoulder to make sure Papa and Baba were taking care of his Sammy. He fussed and wiggled in Daddy’s arms as he rubbed at his eyes. Today had been exhausting already and Dean was more than ready for nap time snuggles with Daddy and Sammy and Papa and Baba. He wanted them all today since they all played their parts in scaring him and then making it all better. He cried out his frustrations while he waited for his Papa to finish bandaging and changing his brother. Once Sammy was calmed down and settled in next to him and Daddy, the brothers nursed from their respective angels while Balthazar set up a movie- Aristocats as it turned out which cheered Dean up a bit because he loved Marie and thought she was just like Kit.


End file.
